Befriending The Enemy
by Ila9182
Summary: Sharon knew it had been a hard day for him but the fact that Flynn was venting his anger on her was starting to irritate her and she could feel her last morsel of patience slipping away. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her Armani pants, and before she could stop herself, the words, "You're such a jerk!" escaped her lips. Post The Closer 7x14 "Road Block".


**Hi everyone! You ask for more stories? Well, here I am! Me quoting one of "Living Proof Part 1"** **lines isn't merely a coincidence as this one-shot is set back in the Closer era!**

 **I felt inspired to write this piece while I was doing one of my latest Shandy videos, "Half Light", which is focused on the far from idyllic relationship Sharon and Andy had in the Closer. That's when I stumbled on a particular episode "Road Block" (7x14). Sharon isn't originally in the episode, but since I wanted to explore the aftermath of that particular case and the emotional impact it had on Andy, I couldn't do it without Captain Raydor! I hope you will like this little piece and don't hesitate to let me know how you felt about it! I love to hear from you all!**

 **I still have the same personal request as in my previous fics: NO SPOILERS since I still have to find the courage to watch season 6. Thank you, I appreciate that.**

 **Big shout-out to my Beta, eelise187, who patiently proofread my work and suggested me some great lines to add! So thank you so much!**

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 **BEFRIENDING THE ENEMY**

Sharon Raydor walked down the hallway toward the Major Crimes division. She had heard that the squad had faced an emotionally difficult case, a hit and run that left a young girl on the pavement. Sharon had also heard that Lieutenant Flynn was deeply involved in the case, as he witnessed the accident and provided first aid to the victim who unfortunately died on scene.

Sharon had not been involved in this particular case, as she was more focused on locating the leak within the division. As far as the leak was concerned she knew she was getting closer to the truth, as the hoax of her retirement had spread rapidly inside and outside the department. The fake news had already reached Peter Goldman's ears, confirming her assumption that the source was indeed somewhere in the Major Crimes division. The lawyer of course refused to reveal the informant, but Sharon was determined to find out the truth on her own. Even so, she still felt like she needed to check on the members of the division after this particular case.

After finding the Murder Room empty, Sharon realized she was tired and desperately needed a coffee after staying late to work on the leak case. Lost in her thoughts and absentmindedly walking toward the break room, she looked up and saw Andy Flynn walking in her direction. Sharon frowned. She surely had not expected him to be still there, especially after the difficult day he had just experienced. When they were almost facing each other, Sharon stopped to call to him, "Lieutenant Flynn…"

"I'm not in the mood for your bickering today." He answered coldly as he entered the break room and slammed the door in Sharon's face.

Sharon stood still for a few seconds, clearly taken aback. She crossed her arms over her chest, surprise quickly turning to annoyance as she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the Lieutenant's behavior. She was used to his unfriendly manners, but this didn't stop her in her next move. Regardless of his present demeanor, Sharon felt like she had to check on him; not only because she was worried of the implications this case would have on the Lieutenant and his efficiency at work, but also because she felt like it was the right thing to do. She wasn't the heartless person the Major Crimes team thought she was, her FID job made her an enemy but deep down, she was a kind, generous, and caring woman. She just couldn't always show that side of her personality during working hours, because she had a reputation to maintain.

Sharon opened the door and entered the room, slowly closing it behind her. Flynn stood motionless with his hands on the counter and his back to the door.

She neared before whispering apologetically, "I've heard about today… I'm sorry."

Flynn didn't say anything at first and Sharon began to doubt if he had heard her. Before she could make sure, she heard him sigh and saw him straighten. Suddenly, he turned around, "Are you sorry I didn't run over the girl myself? Are you sorry you can't investigate and get rid of me for good this time? Get all of the alcoholics out of the force?" Sharon was shocked at his level of aggression and hadn't expected the response.

Sharon stood in disbelief and couldn't believe he had actually said such a thing. Flynn was staring at her with a look of pure anger, very different from the previous times he had yelled at her. _And God he had yelled at her_. She couldn't quite recall all of the fights they had at work, but there were lots. This time, however, there was something different. There was a pain and a hurt in his eyes that had not been there before. Sharon could distinctly see them, even if he was trying to hide them behind his anger.

Sharon knew it had been a hard day for him – that was what pushed her to check on him in the first place – but the fact that he was venting his anger on her was starting to irritate her and she could feel her last morsel of patience slipping away. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her Armani pants, and before she could stop herself, the words, "You're such a jerk!" escaped her lips.

Sharon instantly regretted her words, not because he didn't deserve them, but because she knew that she was about to make things worse. Flynn froze and didn't answer right away, but Sharon saw a change in his eyes. They became even darker and she saw his fists clench as the corners of his mouth contracted. This didn't look good; it didn't look good at all. She wondered why on earth she had had the stupid idea to check on him. She wondered why she hadn't given up and left after he slammed the door in her face. Now Flynn was going to implode and she was going to take the brunt of the blow. She wasn't quite sure she was ready for it.

"Says the evil bitch in front of me." He retorted coldly, disdain unmistakably evident in his voice.

"Excuse me?!" Sharon exclaimed, her mouth dropping as her mind slowly processed what had just happened. "How do you dare…"

"Oh because you're so good-mannered that the worst offense you can say is jerk?" he cut her short mocking her, as his voice grew louder. "Well, guess what, Captain?" he added with a disgusted grimace at the mentioned her rank. "I'm not. And I have no problem in calling you a heartless bitch."

That was enough. Sharon felt anger boiling up inside her, and before she could properly think, she instinctively stepped forward to slap him. Just when her hand was about to hit his face, Flynn caught her wrist and blocked her. He tightened his grip on her and they looked at each other in the eyes, throwing challenging glances. Their looks burned with anger and neither of them looked away, unwilling to give up the fight of wills. Sharon's wrist ached from Andy's firm grip, but she did not allow herself to ask him to release her. She wouldn't let him win the battle this time, even if she was starting to worry about how all of this would end.

"You thought you could catch me by surprise? Following me in here and baiting me?" he mocked her. "That's all Captain Sharon Raydor has in store?"

Sharon remained motionless as he continued to spew his vengeful words, "Threatening a slap and then seeing how I react? Bet you would just love an excuse to get me off the force? Unpredictable, hotheaded Lieutenant Flynn can't possibly be good enough to wear the badge. He is just one bad case away from a drink and a lawsuit."

Sharon had never seen him this angry and out of control. She briefly wondered if he had been drinking again, as the alcohol could explain his rather aggressive behavior. _But so would pain,_ she then thought. She could tell that the Lieutenant wasn't the kind of person who was used to dealing with his emotions. He would rather bottle them up until it was too much for him to handle. Just like now.

Taking a breath, "What's wrong with you, Lieutenant?" she whispered harshly, disgust evident in her voice. "Don't you realize how wrong that is?" she asked indicating with a head gesture her wrist he was still grasping. She squinted her eyes to study him, as if she would be able to read his mind and to understand what was wrong with him, "I just came to check on you…"

"Oh well then, what made you think it would be okay for you to check on me?" interrupting her. "What made you think I would give a damn about you checking on me?" he repeated yelling the words in her face.

Sharon closed her eyes and counted to ten in order to regain her composure. "Well, obviously it is useful since you're venting all your anger about today on me." She pulled her wrist from his grasp, "Because apparently, you're just too afraid to face your feelings about what happened today. You preferring instead to being a jerk, as usual." She stated calmly, and she knew her composed tone would drive him crazy, as would her next assertion, but she was far too angry to stop the words from coming out of her mouth. "The girl died while…"

"Don't you think I know? I was there!" he all but shouted at her, not allowing her to finish her sentence. "And she had a fucking name. Gracie. Ann. Gates." punctuating the victim's name.

"Yes, she has a name, but you need to face your feelings instead of bottling them up." She retorted, raising her voice too. If he wanted to play the game of who yelled louder, then she wasn't going to let him win easily. "It will destroy you and you know how easy it is to relapse during difficult times."

"Fuck you." He spat.

"Fine…" she sighed raising her hands in surrender. "It was my mistake to think that you were better than this," she then let her shoulders fall in defeat as she looked down and walked to the door, stroking her aching wrist. Before reaching the door she turned, "Just find a way to deal with what happened today, possibly not involving a bottle. In that case, I won't be checking on you, I'll be investigating you. Since you don't want friendly help, I'm talking to you as an FID officer. Do I make myself clear, Lieutenant Flynn?" she added coldly, her tone going back to fully professional mode.

He didn't answer and he just looked down and again turned his back to her. She sighed and shook her head. There was just nothing she could do. She looked at him for a few seconds more before giving up and reached for the door handle. Before Sharon could turn the handle, Andy let out a shaky breath, "She smiled at me."

Sharon stopped and turned around to look at him questioningly. She found him with his hands leaning once again on the counter and for a few seconds, she wondered if he really did speak or if her mind made it up, "Excuse me?"

She took a few steps forward, studying him. He had his back to her but she could sense exhaustion had begun to replace the anger by the way his shoulders had fallen and the curve to his back. She stopped at the sound of his reply, "Gracie. I was in my car waiting for the red light to turn green and she stopped next to me on her motorcycle." He sighed, "And she just smiled at me."

Sharon nodded even though he couldn't see her. He was opening up to her and she didn't know how to react. She clearly didn't expect that sudden change in his behavior. She couldn't help but think about all that had happened a few minutes before. _Would he snap again at her if she dared to speak?_

"Maybe this distracted her and she wasn't able to avoid the car..." he reasoned, his voice unsteady as he slowly turned around to face her.

Finally able to see his face Sharon could see he looked different now. His anger was gone, replaced by resignation. She could tell by how much his voice was cracking that he was having a hard time in keeping his composure. He was letting down his walls and she doubted she was the best person to witness to it. She had no idea where the rest of the conversation was heading.

"It is not your fault, Lieutenant." She cut him off, answering in a firm, yet soft tone. "She couldn't have possibly avoided it since the car came through the light at the last second. You did everything possible to help her, Andy." She switched from his rank to his first name. She didn't think about it but she felt that, since they were having a heartfelt conversation, it was the right thing to do. That way she was sure to have his full attention.

"It wasn't enough." He shook his head as he looked down at his fidgeting hands.

"Unfortunately, sometimes it happens." She simply stated with a soft tone, feeling for the first time at a loss for words.

She didn't have to think about a clever thing to add because Andy said, "It shouldn't happen. Not to a kid who had her life ahead of her."

Flynn looked up to meet Sharon's eyes and she could have sworn she saw moisture in his. She was taken aback by his sudden vulnerability and was only able to murmur, "I know," in a soothing tone.

He covered his face with his hands as he sighed. Sharon took a few steps forward, slowly nearing him, hoping he wouldn't back off and shut her out.

"Commissioner Meyers' wife was drunk." He stated keeping his voice low even if anger was once again evident in his tone.

"I know that too," she whispered sadly, looking down.

"It could have been me fifteen years ago." He abruptly admitted, shame creeping inside him. He wasn't proud of his past. He had hurt so many people back then, especially his family and he knew there was no way back. He was still an alcoholic even if it had now been fourteen years since the last time he had had a drink. He was aware of the fact that he was always a glass away from a relapse.

Sharon looked up when she heard his words, a frown on her face as she was shaking her head. "I don't think so, you were already a police officer and you would have never put someone's life in danger, I'm sure of it." She stated seriously.

"How can you be so sure? You didn't know me back then." It wasn't an objection; it was more a simple statement. He looked surprised. He surely didn't expect Captain Raydor to be the one to comfort him.

"I didn't. That's true, but I know how much you make it a point of honor in doing your job properly. How much you value and respect the badge you're wearing, and I'm sure the importance you give to our mission to serve and to protect helped you to quit your addiction too." She paused, considering her next words. She bit her lower lip before looking at him in the eyes and adding, "It takes a lot of strength and courage to make such a decision and to keep it, and it is such an admirable decision."

"Thanks Cap-… Sharon" he added with a soft smile, switching to her first name, as he wanted her to understand how much he appreciated her words.

Sharon smiled back at him and they stayed in silence for a while, simply looking at each other. She was surprised at how comfortable she felt in the silent moment they were sharing. This was new to her, as they were used to yelling and throwing deadly glances at each other. This was definitely a nice change and proof that they could be civil to each other.

"I don't think it will ever go away," he suddenly admitted looking down again at his fidgeting hands.

"Maybe… but this will serve as another reminder to never relapse again."

They exchanged glances before he simply nodded and looked away from her. He leaned against the counter and his attention shifted to a glass of water that was left on the counter. He was staring at it when he painfully added, "She could have been my daughter… Nicole is older than her but I couldn't help thinking about my daughter and that it could have happened to her and the thought just…" his voice cracked and he stopped talking.

"It's understandable," Sharon answered empathically as she tried to catch his eyes, but he still wasn't looking at her. She understood perfectly how he felt. She couldn't remember how many times she had thought of her own children during a particularly tough case.

Sharon knew he was trying to keep his composure so she didn't pressure him. She allowed him to stay silent for a while until he finally offered, "You should have seen Gracie's parents. They were distraught, but with so much dignity… "

Sharon nodded. They could be confronted with so much pain while doing their job. They met people on the worst days of their lives as the bearers of the worst news they could ever receive. They faced the complexity and diversity of human emotions when they had to deliver the news, and some of those awful moments would haunt them for a very long time.

"Gracie talked to me," Andy confided. "She was sorry for causing me trouble. Can you believe it?" he asked with a sad and wistful smile. "I was telling her to hold on, that she was a champ when she…she..." his voice broke down this time and there was nothing he could do to hide it. He put a hand on his mouth and stood silent, fighting the lump in his throat.

"Andy…" she whispered, moving closer.

"No, don't." he said, stopping her with a hand gesture. "I don't think I will ever get the image of her lying on the burning pavement out of my head. Her lifeless eyes staring at some invisible point…" He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, raising his voice, "I just want to cancel that fucking image of my mind! I-I just…"

A single tear ran down his cheek and he did nothing to stop it when he added, "I am the one who should be sorry for not saving her…"

"Her injuries were way to severe for you to do anything to save her, Andy." Sharon told him softly, tears glistening in her own eyes. _How could he believe that it was his fault?_ She wondered, and in that exact moment, she understood that Andy Flynn wasn't the insensitive jerk people thought him to be.

"It's so fucking unfair." He shouted abruptly, slamming his fist on the counter. His actions smashing the glass he had not remembered was on the counter. Water spilled all over the counter while pieces of broken glass cut his hand. Sharon jumped at his sudden forceful reaction and she took a few steps back as her heart rate increased due to his unexpected outburst.

"Shit." He spat, and he took his right hand in his left as blood started pouring quickly from the cut.

Sharon rapidly recovered from the shock, letting out an "Oh God…" before rushing to the counter to get some paper towels. She then delicately took his injured hand in hers and applied some pressure to the cut. He winced in pain and she whispered a light "Sorry," not daring to look at him. She was fully focused on his hand as she slowly removed the paper towel to check the seriousness of the wound. The cut was deep, but it seemed that the bleeding was slowly decreasing. She again put the paper towel on the wound, applying more pressure as Andy cringed once again and let out a small "ow".

"I'm sorry. I have to apply pressure in order to stop the bleeding. That's a deep cut…" Sharon tried to explain, still not looking at him. "Here keep applying pressure while I look for the first aid kit."

Andy was feeling uncomfortable with his inability to control his anger, and he knew he had frightened her. He could tell by how tense she suddenly was, and by the fact that she didn't dare to look him in the eyes. He put his hand on Sharon's hand that was applying pressure on the cut to stop her. She finally looked up to meet his gaze and when he was sure that he had her attention, he whispered with a light smile, "Don't worry about it, it's not a big deal."

"It is indeed. We have to disinfect the wound and then cover it." She went on, with a firm tone.

Flynn was about to tease her, asking her if there was anything in her rulebook about injuries, but he held back when he saw the serious look on the Captain's face. Sharon studied his hand, gently brushing her fingers through his palm to be sure there were no glass shards in it. Her touch was light and delicate as a feather and he was taken aback by the fact that the cold and inflexible Captain Raydor could be that gentle. Sharon then removed her hand and recommended he put pressure on the wound while she went to look for the first aid kit. She remembered having seen it somewhere one day when she was looking for her mug. She smiled triumphantly when she found it in one of the kitchen cupboards. She joined Flynn again and put the first aid kit on the counter before opening it and saying to the Lieutenant, "Sit."

Normally he would have once again cracked a joke at her bossy tone but he knew better. He sat silently on one of the kitchen stools while Sharon put disinfectant on some cotton balls. She delicately took his hand in hers and was about to dab the cut when she stopped to gently warn him, "It's going to sting a bit…"

He nodded and she carefully dabbed the wound. Andy flinched and couldn't hold back an expletive, "Son of a…"

He stopped when he caught Sharon staring at him with a scolding look. He looked down and muttered some excuse while she returned to treating the cut. He winced in pain but stayed silent. He didn't feel he had the right to complain as he did this to himself by being the usual hot-tempered idiot. Once Sharon was done with the disinfecting part, she covered the wound with a gauze pad before turning to take a bandage and wrapping it around his hand. Flynn silently watched her during the whole process, admiring how practical and confident she was while doing so. _This woman is full of surprise,_ he thought.

"I'm sorry," he whispered interrupting the silence between them and trying to catch her gaze, but she was fully focused on wrapping his hand.

"Don't worry, it was only a glass…" she simply stated.

"No, I'm sorry for earlier." He then added with a firm tone.

"Oh." She stopped her actions and looked up to meet his gaze. She could see in his eyes that he was genuinely sorry. She would have never thought that Lieutenant Flynn was able to apologize. It had clearly never happened to her before. She didn't say a word and finished wrapping his hand, putting a clip to fix the bandage.

His next affirmation surprised her even more, "I would have clearly deserved that slap."

Sharon didn't answer at first. She looked down at her hands still holding his bandaged one. When she realized it, she slowly released his hand before awkwardly offering, "Yeah, well I'm sorry about that too. I was way out of line. It is not like me to react that way, I-I..."

"I shouldn't have said those words to you." He cut her short. He wasn't going to allow her to interrupt him while he was trying to apologize. "It was unfair…"

"It's okay. It's not like I haven't been yelled at before." She whispered and he could sense a hint of sadness in her voice. She was right though. He hadn't treated her well since she arrived as FID to investigate the Major Crimes division. Right now, he couldn't quite remember how many times he had yelled at her or disrespected her. They butted heads countless times. He enjoyed contesting each of her rules and making her job more difficult, but she wasn't a quitter. She was the most stubborn woman he had ever known, she never gave in without a fight, and that was why sparks flew every time they were in the same room.

Andy looked down at his bandaged hand and brushed his fingers over it, absentmindedly. "Thank you," he stated softly.

Sharon looked up to meet his gaze, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. She clearly didn't expect it from him. She smirked and put a stray of hair behind her ear before teasing him with a coy smile, "Wow, I never thought I would hear that coming from Lieutenant Flynn's mouth. First an apology, and then a thank you."

He rolled his eyes, faking exasperation and grinned at her as he answered back, "Yeah, well don't get used to it."

"Don't worry, I won't." It was Sharon's turn to roll her eyes, but she couldn't hold back another smile from appearing on her face.

They remained in comfortable silence until Sharon turned her head, looking around before clearing her throat, "Yeah, well we'd better clean up this mess or I don't know what the others will think of all this in the morning…"

Flynn looked at the spilled water and the pieces of glass on the counter. There were some blood drops too. It looked like some crime scene and when he turned around to look at Sharon again, he said in a teasing voice, "I can always say that I was in the break room, calmly sipping my coffee when you attacked me and tried to jump my bones, because you know I'm so irresistible and you couldn't hold back anymore." Adding the last part with a grin on his face.

She lifted an eyebrow, crossed her arms over her chest and threw him a serious look. A look that was telling him she was clearly not impressed, as she answered back, "Andy, that's not funny." She paused as she seemed to consider her next words and she neared him with a mysterious smile on her face, "Or I could actually say that I punched you after you tried to make a move on me, and that I'm going to report you first thing in the morning for sexual harassment."

"Is there a sensitivity training for that too?" he asked her with a foolish grin as he alluded to the time she had sent Provenza and his partner to one of those trainings.

"I believe there's jail for that." She shot back, holding back her laughter with difficulty. She was clearly enjoying teasing him. She then arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest before asking, "So?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He admitted, raising his hands, defeated. "I'd better clean up the mess I've made then."

She laughed and he stopped to stare at her. He was surprised to notice how much her face lit up and how her eyes took on a more vivid shade of green when she let down her guard and allowed herself to be more relaxed around people. She surprised him even more when she patted his shoulder and gave him some paper towels before ordering, "Clean the blood, I'll take care of the glass. I don't want you to cut yourself." She then added after a pause, rolling her eyes, "Again."

He sighed and pretended to look offended as he took the paper from her hand and muttered, "Do you think I'm that stupid?"

Sharon looked at him skeptically and said nothing. She smiled before laughing softly and Flynn stood motionless, bewildered at her behavior. She was messing around with him and clearly enjoying it. Andy smiled and started cleaning the spilled water and the blood he left on the counter while Sharon was picking up the pieces of broken glass. They cleaned the break room in silence and once they finished, Andy said, "I better get going… I don't want to be late tomorrow as I know some Captain will kick my ass for arriving late to the scene."

"Yeah, I heard she's no fun at all." Sharon spoke slowly and she shook her head before adding, "Such a wicked witch."

Andy chuckled when he heard her use the stupid nickname he had given her. He didn't know when she actually found out about it, and he wondered if she had seen his drawing of her two years ago while he was fooling around with Provenza. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"You're okay?" Sharon asked, concern showing on her face as she put a hand on his upper arm.

"I am." He answered back with a smile, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before repeating. "I really am."

Sharon put her hand away and nodded with a reassuring smile. Flynn returned the smile and as he was about to leave the break room he turned around and said hesitantly, "Oh Captain, uhm… about tonight…"

"What about tonight, Lieutenant?" She asked innocently. "You slammed the break room door in my face and that's how it ended. It would have been crazy of me to follow you inside to check on you, right?" She added, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah, right…"

They exchanged one last knowing look and smiled before wishing each other a good night. Andy left the break room, closing the door behind him with a smile on his face.

Tomorrow they would be the Captain and the Lieutenant again. They would go back to their usual behaviors: Andy rolling his eyes and sighing every time she would appear in the Murder Room or try to obstruct one of Chief Johnson's cases, and Sharon reminding him of the rules he had so much trouble sticking to.

Tomorrow would be another day and it would be as if tonight never happened. As agreed, they would keep this pleasant moment they shared to themselves, because Andy Flynn knew there was no way the team would ever forgive him for befriending the enemy.

 **THE END**

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 **Thank you all for reading! I hope you've enjoyed this story. I'd love to hear from you what you thought about this piece, so feel free to leave a review. I'd appreciate it very much!**

 **See you soon with another story! ;)**


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